Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Exeter asks about dairy farming

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the dairy sector in England.

Lord Benyon (Con): Global gas prices have a major impact on agricultural commodities. We are very aware of the significant turbulence in international commodity markets following Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and are closely monitoring the market situation.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about China and Hong Kong

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of extradition treaties between EU Member States and the People’s Republic of China on freedom of movement for UK citizens in Europe; and what discussions they have had with European counterparts on this matter.

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Bishop of Exeter asks about avian influenza

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government how many cases of avian flu were reported in the UK in the years (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, and (4) 2022 so far.

Lord Benyon (Con): In 2019, one case of notifiable avian influenza was confirmed in the UK, a case of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) H5N3 in England.

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Bishop of Exeter asks about levelling up in south-west England

On 7th April 2022, the Bishop of Exeter asked a question for short debate about levelling up in the south-west of England, in Grand Committee:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their ‘levelling up’ plans for the South-West of England.

My Lords, I am privileged to serve a diocese in one of the most beautiful parts of England, except the picture postcard view of the region loved by tourists is only half the story. In keeping with most shire counties, the population is older than the national average. Dorset has the oldest population and Devon the second-oldest, with the average age in both counties set to rise significantly over the next 10 years, putting further strain on the NHS and our care services. However, the great thing about an older population, which became evident during the lockdown, is their resilience—they bring ballast and a honed wisdom to their communities. But this does not permit us to underestimate the logistical and economic challenge of sustaining an ageing population, particularly in coastal communities and remote rural areas.

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Bishop of Durham asks about public finances

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 7th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government whether they applied the Family Test to the measures set out in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement on 23 March; and if so, what their conclusions and mitigations were.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about use of surveillance technology in the workplace

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on surveillance technology on 6th April 2022, during a debate on the introduction of a future Employment Bill:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, technology has intruded further into the world of work over the last five years. Many developments are helpful, but some are not. Almost 60% of workers now report some form of technological surveillance at work, often through so-called bossware, often introduced without consultation with unions and workers. How will the employment Bill eventually keep pace with this development, and will it introduce a statutory requirement on employers to consult and disclose the use of algorithmic and AI surveillance on employees, and protect workers from excessive surveillance by technology?

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Bishop of Exeter asks about support for agriculture following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 5th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) inflationary, and (2) supply chain, pressures on British farming exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and what consideration they have given to pausing the phasing out of direct payments to farmers for two years to enable them to adjust to these changes in the market.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about food affordability

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 5th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the merits of an Affordable Food Innovation Fund being included in the White Paper to be published in response to the National Food Strategy.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about investigating allegations of war crimes in Ukraine

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 4th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to work with international partners to investigate allegations of war crimes following the massacre in Bucha, Ukraine, by Russian Armed Forces.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): My Lords, we were all horrified, as we are now, by seeing evidence of appalling acts by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. Russia’s alleged indiscriminate attacks against civilians during this illegal invasion must be investigated as war crimes. We will fully support any investigations by the International Criminal Court, and we will not rest until those responsible for these atrocities have faced justice. The international community must continue to provide Ukraine with humanitarian and military support while stepping up sanctions to cut off funding for Mr Putin’s war machine.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about facial recognition technology (FRT)

On 4th April 2022, the Bishop of Oxford asked a question during a debate on facial recognition technology and policing:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I declare an interest as a former board member of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. I wonder if the Minister would comment on the vital importance of establishing public trust and confidence in the deployment of FRT and indeed any new technology, especially in such a sensitive area as policing. A range of concerns have been raised about rapid deployment, governance and bias by the CDEI, the European Union and the makers of popular documentaries. Yet, in the face of this, the Met and South Wales Police have both announced a ramping up of the use of FRT. Does the Minister agree that it is time to slow this down and for urgent parliamentary scrutiny and better governance of the police’s use of facial recognition technology?

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